Ring gate structure



May 14, 1940. P. J. cANNl-:LL

RING' GATE STRUCTURE Filed May 1o, 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet l A fJm/evz/af May 14', 1940. P CANNELL 2,200,667

RING GATE STRUCTURE Filed May l0, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES maar PATENT OFFICE 2,200,667 RING GATE STRUCTURE Paul J. Cannell, Hastings, Nebr.

Application May 10, 1937,

7 Claims.

The object of myinvention is to provide a ring gate structure which is simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is means for mounting it in a ring gate tower or turbine intake so that vibration is eliminated, yet the ring gate may be easily opened or closed as desired in a facile manner.

Still a further object is to provide mounting 10v means for a ring gate comprising tracks and rollers so arranged that they provide an antifriction guide means for the ring gate during its telescopic movement from open or closed position relative to the tower.

A further object is to provide track and roller means for guiding a ring gate and to tie the rollers together by links which cause their movement simultaneously with each other as the gate is raised or lowered.

Still a further object is to provide means to insure movement of the rollers 'in proportion to the movement of the ring gate, comprising racks and pinions, the racks being carriedv by a tower carried by at least some of the rollers.

A further object is to provide means to prevent breakage of the teeth of the pinions during movement of the ring gate.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the variousparts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated :in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure' l is a plan view oi a ring gate and the lower portion of a ring gate tower embodying my shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l showing the gate in closed position, the left side being a section through a portal of the gate and the right side through an outlet elbow thereof.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View similar to Figure 2 showing a slightly modied construction.

Figure ft is a View similar to the right side of Figure 2 showing the gate in ope-n position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure l showing the coaction of the roller and track means'.

Figure 6 is a similar sectional view on the line t-- of Figure 4: showing the rack and pinion 55 means for the rollers and tracks; and

to provide a'ring gate with and ring gate respectively and the pinions beingy invention, the upper portion of the tower being Serial No. 141,780

Figure '1. illustrates in its upper two-thirds ak sectional-view on the line 'I-JIa of Figure 6 and in its lower one-third a similar sectional View on the line 'II- 1b of Figure 6.

On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference character T to indicate generally a tower and RG a ring gate. The tower' T is usually installed upstream relative to a dam and ordinarily connected by a bridge to the dam crest and spillway, or the tower may be an intake leading to a water turbine. The tower T is pro vided with a plurality of inlets or portals I0 and an outlet elbow II, which extends through the dam to the downstream side or to the intake of a turbine.

The ring .gate is provided for either fully or partially establishing communication between the portals I0 and the elbow II. The ring gate RG comprises a cylindrical wall I2 which may be made of boiler plate or the like and is ordinarily reinforced by a plurality' of ring stiieners of I-beamconstruction, which are omitted from the drawings as they form no part of my present in'- vention. Obviously the cylinder I2 rn st be reinforced withl quite a number of such ring stifien- 25 ers. Rin-g gates are of rather large proportions, the one shown in the drawings being approximately twenty feet in diameter.

`Further stifiening is provided by means of radial spokes I3 and i4 at the bottom and top respectively of the cylinder I2 and by angular braces I5 and tie rods It. The lower edge of the cylinder I2 is provided with a sealing flange i? adapted for seating against a ring seal i8. The upper edge is somewhat similarly provided with a sealing flange I9 for seating against a ring seal 20.

For opening and closing the ring gate RG a gate stem or lift rod 2| is provided. Thisextends to the head oi the tower (not shown) where suitable mechanism is provided for imparting longitudinal movement to the rod 2| as desired.

My mounting means for the ring gate'includesv ring gate tracks 22 secured to the cylinder I2 at a plurality of positions therearound.' By way of illustration, four of the tracks'22 are shown on the drawings and they are placed 'between four portals I0. Obviously a greater number of portals and tracks may be used for larger ring gates and only three, for instance, may be used for smaller ones, if desired.

Arranged parallel to the ringv gate tracks 22 are tower vtracks 23 and between the tracks 22 and 23 a roller chain is positioned. The roller chain comprises a plurality of rollers 211 having ,55

stub shafts 25 journallecl in link bars Z5 at the ends of the rollers as shown in Figure 5. The tracks 22 and 23 are provided with end flanges 21 and 28 to limit endwise movement of the rollers 24. Flanges 26 are provided to retain the rollers against the tracks 23 when the ring gate is raised and prevent their dislodgement from the tracks due to the rush of Water through the gate.

Adjacent the flanges 2l' and 28 I provide rack bars 2S and S9. A set of rack bars 2S and 39 is provided for each end of the roller chain. On the ends of at least one roller I secure pinions 3l` (see Figure 6). These may be retained in position by lock nuts 32.

To insure greater safety, the upper two rollers with pinions 3l as shown in Figure 7. The stub shafts 25 for the upper two rollers are not journalled rigi relative to the link bars 26 but mounted for slight oating movement relative thereto as illustrated.

The lower half of eachl stub shaft 25' contacts with a semi-circular seat 33 of the link bar 26 and is normally retained in such position by a bearing block 34 backed by a spring 35. This spring is placed under an initial tension in the neighborhood of ve hundred pounds and some play upward of the stub shaft 25 is permitted by the slot-like character of the upper portion of the seat 33 which is indicated at 36.

Offset from the tracks 22 are extension tracks 31. These are braced relative to the ring gate by annular braces 38. Adjacent the track extensions 27 are tower tracks 39 and between the tracks 37 and 39, rollers, link bars, racks and pinions are provided in the manner already described in connection with the tracks 22 and-23 and as illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The tracks 37 and 39 it will be noted are offset lrelative to the tracks 22 and 23 or set farther out from the axis of the ring gate.

After the ring gate has been assembled in position, any excess play can be taken up between the rollers and tracks by adjustable bolt connections 40, 4| and 42 and by adjusting the Vlock nuts on the tie rods I6 as required. This reduces the clearance between the parts to a minimum without experiencing any binding or jamming of the gate in its guides during operation and the take-up of the pla-y reduces vibration to a minimum.

Practical operationA Considering the parts in the position of Figure 2, it will be noted that the sealing flanges l'l and i9 are seated against the ring `seals i8 and 2G. Whenever the gate is moved to open position as in Figure 4, the roller chains will move half as far as the gate actually moves, the travel of the roller chains being positively insured by the rack 29 rotating the pinions 3l and causing them to travel along the racks 30. In the wide open position of the gate at least three of the rollers will remain in contact with each of the tracks 22 and 3l'. During the opening and closing movements, the oating mounting of the upper two rollers prevents any breakage of the pinion teeth due to inaccuracies in machining and the necessary back lash in the teeth.

Without such mounting the ring gate might, in moving back against the rollers during the opening movementy rst pinch the bottom rollers and then jam the rack teeth at the top, causing breakage of the teeth. This is particularly true where high head pressures are involved I preferably provide v and where one quadrant of the gate may not balance that of another, thus tending to jam the gate in its guides and cause it to vibrate dangerously.

The floting mounting of the rollers having the pinions permits slight slippage of the rollers in their relative spacings yet the springs 35 cause return of the rollers to their original positions as soon as there is any relief of pressure between the tracks and the rollers. Obviously slight inaccuracies in machining or assembly would permit such relief as it is impossible to provide tracks and rollers which are all so accurate that all of them at all times are in contact with each other. Thus I have made ample provision for proper movement of the rollers and have eliminated all the possibility of their dropping to nonoperative positions and at the same time guarded against failure of the rack and pinion mechanism causing the proportional movement of the rollers relative to the gate during its movement from either open or closed position.

In Figure 3 I show diagrammatically a variation of the structure in which the cylinder l2' of the ring gate is mounted exterior of tho tower 'I" rather than within it. The ring seals i8' and 20 are likewise mounted exterior of the tower T', the lower edge of the cylinder I2' seating against the ring seal I8 in the closed position of the ring gate. The upper edge of the cylinder has an inturned sealing flange I9' for seating against the ring seal 23. The track extensions 3l" are offset inwardly rather than outwardly relative to the cylinder I 2. The tower T is then provided with inlet openings U1 inside the cylinder l2 and located intermediate rollerchains as already described in connection with Figure l. The upper ends of the tracks 3l may be connected together by an annular ring i4 with which a plurality of lift rods 2l are connected. Thus it is obvious that my mounting means for the ring gate may be applied either exteriorly or interiorly of the gate.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangements of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I' claim as my invention:

l. In a ring gate structure, a tower, a ring gate telescopically movable relative thereto and means for mounting said ring gate relative to said tower comprising pairs of tracks carried by said tower positioned diametrically opposite each other. a track spaced from each of said rst tracksr and carried by said ring gate, roller chains between adjacent tracks and pinion and rack means for moving said roller chains in proportion to the movement of said ring gate relative to said tower.

2. In a ring gate structure, a tower, a ring gate telescopically movable relative thereto and means for mounting said ring gate relative to said tower comprising tracks carried by said tower, a track spaced from each of said rst tracks and carried by said ring gate, roller chains between adjacent tracks and adjusting means acting at an angle to the direction of travel of said roller chains for adjusting the spacing between said ring gate tracks and said tower tracks to accommodate the rollers with a minimum of play.

3. In a ring gate structure, a tower, a ring gate teleseopically movable relative thereto and means for mounting said ring gate relative to said tower comprising pairs of tracks carried by said tower around said ring gate positioned diametrically opposite each other, rollers between said tracks and said ring gate, said ring gate having track extensions, other tracks carried by said tower adjacent said track extensions, rollers between said other tracks and said track extensions, and adjusting means between diametrically opposed pairs of tracks for Varying the distances between said tracks and the ring gate to provide a snug rolling t between surfaces in contact with the rollers.

4. In a ring gate structure, a tower, a ring gate telescopically movable relative thereto and means for mounting said ring gate relative to said tower comprising a plurality of tracks carried by said tower and positioned at intervals around said ring gate, tracks in said ring gate and rollers between said tower tracks and said ring gate tracks, track extensions on said ring gate oiset relative to said i'lrst tracks, other tracks carried by said. tower adjacent said track extensions, and rollers between said other tracks and said track extensions.

5. In a ring gate structure, a tower having an intake and an outlet, a pair of seats surrounding said tower, a ring gate seating against said seats and means for mounting said ring gate comprising a plurality of tracks positioned in pairs diametrcally opposite each other on the exterior of said tower, a plurality of tracks on the interior of said ring gate and rollers between said tower and ring gate tracks.

6. In a ring gate structure a casing having a passage therethrough, a ring gate movable relative thereto for opening and closing the passage and means for mounting the ring gate upon the casing comprising a track on the casing, guide racks at the side thereof and a chain of rollers in the track in contact with the surface of the ring gate there adjacent, said chain including links rotatably holding said rollers together to shift as a unit and pinions on some of said rollers meshing with the guide racks, each of the pinion bearing linksbeing provided adjacent the pinion with an elongated aperture for journaling the roller including a block spring pressed against said roller to permit a slight longitudinal shift of the aids thereof and adapted thereby to in sure at all times a positive mesh of the pinion in the rack.

7. In a ring gate structure, a tower, a ring gate telescopically movable relative thereto and means for mounting said ring gate relative to said tower comprising pairs of tracks carried by said 'tower and positioned diametrically opposite each other, a track spaced from each of said first tracks and carried by said ring gate, roller chains between adjacent tracks, pinion and rack means for moving said roller chains in proportion to the movement oi said ring gate relative to said tower, the pinions of said pinion and rack means being carried by said roller chains and movable within 5 predetermined limits relative thereto, and resilient means for suspending said roller chains elative to said pinion and rack means.

PAUL J. CANNELL. 

